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Iran: poet released after enforced disappearance and torture

Update RAN 01/18
28 March 2018
PEN International welcomes the release of poet Mohammad Bamm on 19 March 2018. Bamm was arrested by members of the Iranian security forces on 31 December 2017 before being subjected to an enforced disappearance period during which he was tortured. For the first 28 days, Bamm was held in solitary confinement in Ahvaz Prison before being transferred to the public section of the prison. He was denied access to his lawyer or his family.
Bamm has been accused of causing harm to public order and security, participating in the leadership of illegal demonstrations and inciting people to take part in them, and insulting the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Bamm has been released on bail of 200 billion Iranian rial (about $60000.00). No date has yet been fixed for the next hearing.
PEN International will continue to closely monitor Bamm?s case, and calls for any charges against him solely relating to the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association to be dropped. PEN International also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all other activists currently detained in Iran in connection with the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and assembly. These rights are protected by Articles 9, 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party.
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Please send appeals:
· Welcoming the release of poet Mohammad Bamm, and calling for all charges against him solely related to the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression or association to be dropped;
· Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all other writers currently detained in Iran solely in connection with the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and assembly, in accordance with Articles 9,19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a state party.
Appeals to:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Grand Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?…
Twitter: @khamenei_ir English-language account), @Khamenei_ar (Arabic-language), @Khamenei_es (Spanish-language account).
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani
c/o Public Relations Office
Number 4, Deadend of 1 Azizi ? Vali Asr Street
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Hassan Rouhani
Pasteur Street, Pasteur Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: media [at] rouhani [dot] irhttp://rouhani.ir/register.php
Twitter: @HassanRouhani (English) and
@Rouhani_ir (Persian)
And copy to the Embassy of Iran in your country. You can find embassy addresses here.
Please inform PEN of any action you take, and of any responses you receive.
Background
Poet Mohammad Bamm was arrested by members of the Iranian security forces on 31 December 2017 while on his way home in the city of Abadan, Iran. Bamm was previously detained in 2017 on politically-motivated charges which are “propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and “blasphemy”. For more information, see our previous action on this case here.